Autumn - The Season of Nature and the Soul

 

"Dirty gold sublimed from the black earth up in bright air: these are the awaited stalks, the ripeness possible to imagine." (From John Hollander's poem, Yellow.)

It was such a pretty morning yesterday that I took myself out into the countryside for a couple of hours and was richly rewarded.

Green Valley Lake/Park was my planned destination, but first a few miles of country roads.

I love the various tawny shades of a soybean field.

And the reds, burgundies and scarlets of Sumac are also a delight.

I passed a farmstead with the most beautiful barn I've seen in a long time, but I couldn't get the right line of sight for a picture. The house was equally impressive. Photos of both is an objective for another day.

Coming into Green Valley State Park from the West, I stopped at a parking area I never had before, which is where I discovered this small island tucked away in a cove.

There was a whole field of Goldenrod. This is a very small sample of it with a different perspective of the island, showing its rocky edge.

From the southwest side around to the northeast. From a distance I noticed a gray spot in the top of a tree. "It's just where a limb broke," I thought.

But, just in case I pulled in, zoomed in with the camera and was really rewarded! It isn't often I see a Great Blue Heron in a tree. What a nice surprise shot.

On through the campgrounds where I was amazed to see it still almost full of campers - usually only a weekend sight - and where I sometimes see waterfowl in the inlet near the cabins.

This day I only saw a couple Ravens walking around looking for tidbits left from a picnic lunch.

Next stop was at the boat dock for a short walk down the paved path.

I was looking for the Bittersweet I saw along there a couple years ago.

I didn't see it where I thought I remembered it so I kept going.

Until I saw this Red-tailed Hawk fly over and land. I didn't want to scare if off so I stopped where I was and zoomed in to take some photos. It was obvious it was looking for something to move below so it could have breakfast.

Right after I had taken its photo, a bicyclist went past and scared it into flight.

In addition to the Goldenrod, I also saw a lot of this white aster, false aster, heath aster, wood aster, frost aster? I do not know what the name of this small daisy-like flower is for certain.

I am almost sure this is where the Bittersweet was two years ago. I couldn't see any sign of it now.

The bird in silhouette is a Catbird.

This was the photo I took of the Bittersweet on September 21, 2019.

I wonder if it will come back next year?

I'm looking forward to enjoying the beautiful fall days and more of these nature expeditions; they nurture my soul.